machine, adjusted as when employed for sowing carrots. At the
time of harvesting, the plants may be cut near the surface of the
ground, or even mowed; thereby avoiding much of the inconvenience
arising from the soil that adheres to the roots when the plants are
pulled up.

There are no varieties.

_Use._--The seeds and leaves are used both in medicine and cookery. The
green leaves are employed in salads, and for seasoning and garnishing,
like Fennel. The seeds have a fragrant odor, a pleasant, warm taste, and
are highly carminative. Large quantities are used for distillation and
in flavoring liquors, and also for expressing for their essential oil.

* * * * *

BALM.

Melissa officinalis.

A hardy, perennial plant, from the south of Europe. The stalk is
four-sided, branching, and from two to three feet high; leaves opposite,
in pairs, ovate, toothed on the borders; the flowers are small, nearly
white, produced in spikes, or clusters, at or near the top of the plant.

_Soil, Propagation, and Culture._--Any warm, mellow, garden soil is
suited to its growth. It is generally propagated by dividing the roots,
which may be done either in spring or in autumn. After thoroughly
stirring the soil, set the roots in rows fifteen inches apart, and a
foot apart in the rows. Under good management, the plants will soon
completely cover the surface of the ground, and the bed will not need
renewal for many years.

_Gathering._--If required for drying, the plants should be cut as they
come into flower, separating the stems at the surface of the ground.
They should not be exposed to the sun in drying, but placed in an airy,
shady place, and allowed to dry gradually. The leaves, in their green
state, may be taken directly from the plants as they are required for
use.

_Use._--The plant has a pleasant, lemon-like odor; an agreeable,
aromatic taste; and, in flavoring certain dishes, is used as a
substitute for lemon-thyme. It is beneficial in hemorrhage, and other
diseases of the lungs; and, in the form of tea, constitutes a cooling
and grateful diluent in fevers. A mixture of balm and honey, or sugar,
is sometimes applied to the interior of beehives, just previous to
receiving the swarm, for the purpose of "attaching the colony to its new
settlement."

* * * * *

BASIL.

Ocymum.

There are two species of Basil cultivated in gardens; viz., the Common
Sweet Basil (